Downloading VS Streaming: Which Is The Best For You?

When you want to download the latest Hollywood movie or want to listen to a new album, you can either stream it live or download it locally and then watch it or listen to it from there.

But choosing between these two options may not be as obvious as it looks, depending on how you intend to use the content and when.

So to help you make the decision about whether you should stream or download the content, here are some points to consider.

Downloading And Streaming Is Practically The Same

In both concepts, a file is sent to the device. The main difference is that a streaming file is played online whereas a downloaded file is stored locally on the device.

Both methods include the process of downloading, but only one leaves you with a copy on your device that you can access anytime without data.

While streaming the content again can use your data.

The Amount Of Data Spent Is Same

One more thing that you need to understand is that the file size remains the same whether you stream it or download it. For instance, if an mp4 of a movie is 1.00 GB, that fact doesn’t change whether you download it or stream it online.

However, the data transferred may differ depending upon the available quality. For example, if you stream a video at 480p but download it at 720p, then the 720p file will be larger and use more data to download.

Moreover, some streaming services like Netflix & Disney+ offer the ability to change data settings to avoid any streaming problems and allowing you to choose a lower resolution option to save data.

Intended Use Of The Content

Choosing whether to stream or download a file depends upon how you want to use it.

If there is a specific song that you like, and you can imagine listening to it every day, then you can choose to download the song which is a better option. You can then listen to the song as many times as you want without worrying about any data charges.

However, if you are not interested in using a particular file more than one time, you can choose to stream it instead. And unlike downloading, streaming will not place the file in your device’s storage.

This means that you can enjoy the song or video and at the same time you will not lose any storage capacity.

The Take-Home

Ultimately, it may seem like a lot of analysis for selecting between streaming or downloading a file, but if you are using a device with a limited data plan, these can be important considerations to keep in mind.

So what you should do is, review the actual file size and think about how you intend to use the file, and then you can make a choice based on what is best for your situation.